I have posted two times this year. I guess I could make a lot of excuses, but the simple fact is that I have not been obedient to what God has called me, and I am not just talking about posting on this blog. To say that a great deal has changed is an understatement, much of which I will not share, but God has brought me to a place where I must simply obey Him and let Him take care of the details. Status Quo is no longer an option.
Among the many changes that have occurred especially in the past few months is my leaving a place of ministry and security. The details of the past are not important or at least not nearly as important as the hope of the future. God brought my family to a community in far Eastern North Carolina with a hope to pursue ministry and see people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to have their lives transformed by Him. I really believe in all my heart that God began to show me about 8 months ago that He wanted to do a work in this community and that for some reason I was to be involved in it. Like always I questioned it, "Why me?" "Isn't there somebody else?" and so forth. However God allowed me to be put in a position where I would either have to stand on my convictions based on His Word as true and authoritative or compromise. Now I am in a similar position. If I really believe that He is There and He is not Silent (Read Francis Schaeffer) then I am compelled to obey His word and submit to His Lordship.
I still do not know what all of that means, but I am sure that it means that there are still hundreds of people in this county that need to hear the message of salvation in Christ Jesus, and for whatever reason God has called me to be a part of taking that message to as many of them as possible. I am not worthy, but neither am I worthy of His call to ministry, nor His call to salvation, nor even the breath I just inhaled while typing this.
I had an interesting Christmas this weekend. I spent Christmas day reading, reading a book about giving, giving everything because that is what Christ has called us to do. The Sunday after Christmas I was scheduled to preach but we got a freak snow storm and everything was cancelled. So I read another book, another book about giving everything for the cause of taking the Gospel to lost men and women, boys and girls because God is worth it. He is worth giving up everything here to know Him for all eternity. I would urge caution if you desire to read these two books, I walked away from them with one settled reality in my life, It is time to obey.
I still don't know what "obeying" God will look like. But I know the first steps are being taken as I have invited several folks to my home (which I am currently borrowing) to begin to dig into the Word of God with the intent on being obedient to reach this community, everyone in this community with the gospel regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, education level, job situation, orientation, past, present or future circumstances or any other barriers that we depraved, wicked people like to build between ourselves. And as we reach them seeing their lives, and my life transformed more and more toward the image of Christ.
It is time to obey and while I don’t know what I am doing, I know what I am not doing anymore, and that is settling for giving God what is left over.
Here are the two books.
My prayer is simply this, God do your will. Period.
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